Faribault Public Schools students will see a new food service provider beginning with the 2026-27 school year after the School Board approved a partnership with Taher, a family-owned food service management company with more than 45 in operation.
The new partnership marks the end of the district’s longtime relationship with Sodexo and is intended to expand fresh, scratch-made meal options while enhancing the overall dining experience for students.
“The district is grateful to Sodexo for its many years of partnership and dedicated service to Faribault Public Schools,” the district said in a press release. “As the district looks ahead, this new partnership reflects a continued commitment to providing students with nutritious, high-quality meals and an exceptional dining experience.”
Presentation at School Board meeting
During the May 18 School Board meeting, Director of Finance and Operations Barbie Roessler, brought this to the board for their approval.
When the district put out bids for a new provider, they received four: Sodexo (current vendor), Taher Inc., Southwest Foodservice Excellence (SFE) and Chartwells. It was the staff’s recommendation to go with Taher.
To help them narrow down which provider to go with, Roessler said each one went through a review of the proposals by three staff members and one student, each submission was evaluated using established criteria.
“If you look at the bid tabulation, the MDE bid point calculator, that particular document just kind of indicates how the point system works,” she said. “ It is not up to us as far as points for price, that has to be the highest value, and so we set that value at 40% You can see the rest of what is called the non price points, and they are listed there for your review.
“What I tried to do here was to indicate what the criteria was, and then maybe some questions for us to ask as we’re looking through the documents. The average [length] is 350 pages per proposal, so it is a lot to go through, a lot to read and a lot to decipher. I tried to give some substance about what this is and what what you might want to think about when trying to score those.”
School Board member comments
Board member Candace Knudson asked if the quality of food would change with the new provider.
“We viewed sample menus, but did not taste or sample any of their food,” Roessler said. “I also did do reference checks with other school districts to ensure that they felt quality and service and those kinds of things were there. This particular company does a bit more scratch made versus just commodities and frozen foods and those kinds of things.”
Board member Linda Moore wanted clarity on why the document was shared with them the day of the meeting.
“It is late and I understand that,” Roessler said. “But part of the process is going through MDE and having to rework some of the mandatory paperwork, backup data, those kinds of things that they require, and then we also have to give time for having bids in the paper, allowing enough time so that these vendors can reply those different pieces.
“We actually got the bid proposals on May 8, but because of the amount of work that it is to read through all those proposals, it was not. I did not set a deadline for the group until Thursday (May 14) at the end of the day.”
Moore said her problem with this is people not getting a chance to read and digest it before the meeting, like herself.
“I know some constituents do go through the agenda, and they do look through things,” she said. “The fact that you know most people work, and so the fact that they got it today, they aren’t going to be able to see it or look through it, and I don’t think that’s acceptable.”
Board member Lynda Boudreau questioned how the district’s request for proposal process is conducted before expressing appreciation for staff’s work evaluating potential vendors.
“It was mentioned in previous finance meetings, previous meetings here that we were going to be doing RFPs on all of those areas, and I don’t know that we invite the public to do those RFPs,” she said. “We have the outcomes of those tabulations and the rubrics, why those decisions were made. I believe the public should be pleased with the fact that we are looking for suitable providers that maybe we can save some dollars on, and I know we have in previous RFPs.
“I just want to thank you for that. I think that takes a lot of work to put RFPs out in all these areas, and then review them, and I think our public will be very pleased with that, and I know we appreciate it.”
Before Roessler could comment on that, Moore voiced that Boudreau missed the point of her previous comment.
“I think that people do think this is their tax dollars, and they deserve to look at that if they wish,” Moore said. “This came out today, and I don’t think that’s acceptable.”
Board chair John Bellingham criticized Moore’s comments saying it is not her “purview to criticize a district employee” and that her comment was “unprofessional.”
“(Roessler) did her best on getting us as soon as the information was there, providing a timely manner,” Bellingham said. “It’s a recommendation to us here. We can analyze the information. I believe the public should be very grateful that we had this checklist, and as thorough as this process was. To criticize an employee of the district for not having it in a timely manner, or whatever, and doing our best, come from a different recommendation, I believe is very unprofessional.”
Before voting, Moore asked if she could say one more thing, which Bellingham allowed.
“I do not work for any of you, I work for the public,” Moore said.
The board approved this in a 5-1 vote with Moore voting no. Board member Jerry Robicheau was absent from the meeting.
What it means for the district
Taher partners with more than 50 school districts across Minnesota and brings more than 45 years of experience in school food service. The company is known for its chef-driven approach, focus on fresh ingredients and emphasis on preparing meals from scratch. According to the district, approximately 75% of Taher’s menu items are made from scratch.
The partnership will bring several changes to FPS’ food service program, including new menu offerings, Harvest of the Month promotions, student taste-testing events and a greater emphasis on locally sourced fruits and vegetables.
Taher representatives will also work directly with FPS’ kitchen staff. A dedicated chef will provide culinary training, help develop recipes and assist with improving meal quality throughout the school year.
The program will be led by Taher Food Service Director Madeline Berndt, who will work closely with FPS to support food service operations. FPS has also hired Cathy Hammerschmidt as its Food Service Coordinator. In her role, Hammerschmidt will oversee daily operations, ensure compliance with state and federal nutrition standards, support meal quality, encourage student and community engagement and help maintain the financial sustainability of the food service program.
“We’re excited to partner with Taher to enhance the dining experience for our students,” Roessler said in a press release. “Their commitment to fresh ingredients, innovative menu offerings, and exceptional customer service aligns closely with our district’s goals of supporting student health, wellness, and academic success. This partnership represents an exciting opportunity to enhance our food service program while continuing to meet the diverse needs and preferences of our students and families.”